With sunnier days and warmer evenings fast approaching, we’re looking for ways to ‘dress up’ our garden tables for the summer. Whether you plan to host friends and family for casual lunches in the sun, or alfresco dinner parties on a larger scale, there’s nothing nicer than curating a stylish tablescape for your guests to enjoy. As with all of our designs, our Florentine tableware has been made with versatility in mind and to suit all tastes and schemes - whether you like to pattern up with layers of linens, or pare back with tranquil tones and organic textures. Create your own outdoor haven this season using Birdie’s alfresco dining tablescaping tips!
Pattern Up
We think it's important to make our gardens feel like an extension of our homes, particularly in the summer months when we’re bound to spend almost as much time outdoors as we do in (British weather permitting). If you're a maximalist at heart and enjoy playing with varying combinations of print, colour and textures in your home, there is no need to scale back your style outside.
Tablecloths are our go-to dining accessory for taking colour and print outside - they add a touch of luxury to perhaps an otherwise weather-worn outdoor table and can quickly take a scheme from everyday to elevated. Our hero print of the season, the Santa Croce tablecloth, is the perfect base for a patterned up alfresco scheme - block printed by hand in India on a premium linen/cotton blend and available in two bold colour ways, it adds visual impact and a playfulness to any table. Style your tablecloth with matching napkins for a smart look or mix and match with linens in coordinating colours for a more relaxed feel. Layer your ceramics on a placemat and don’t be afraid to mix and match the styles and colours of your ceramics - the best tablescapes are always those which are charming and eclectic.
Embrace the beauty of the fabulous flowers in your gardens this summer and use them as much as possible in your tablescape. Opt for single stems, such as roses and alstroemerias, in glass bud vases or for a large central arrangement in perhaps a ceramic or cotton maché vase. Make this loose and abundant, mixing in lots of green foliage for added texture. Finish off the look with coordinating coloured candlesticks in varying heights - there is nothing more inviting than an alfresco candlelit dinner.
Pared Back
Our considered collections are designed to layer together but we also ensure that every piece creates visual impact when styled on its own too. Depending on your own personal style or the occasion, a ‘pared back’ approach explores the age-old mantra that less is more. The key to creating a stylish pared back look is to choose high quality pieces that incorporate organic textures to bring visual interest and depth to your space. Outdoor tablescapes which take inspiration from its surroundings using natural materials, earthy tones, and lots of textured green foliage can feel wonderfully calm and serene. Opt for a natural linen tablecloth or simply a bare wooden table as the base of your tablescape and choose placemats with a woven texture - our new Rattan Placemats are handwoven in Indonesia from wild and sustainably farmed rattan and look stunning when paired with the matching napkin rings. Instead of candlesticks, opt for a Rattan hurricane as your centrepiece or a large vase of green foliage from your garden for a rustic finish. A scaled back tablescape like this is perfect for more relaxed dining occasions and a wonderful scheme for smaller city gardens where you’re looking to create a tranquil area to escape busy city life.
